The Romantic Appeal of Christianity (Orthodoxy VIII)

In this episode we look at Chesterton's profound exploration of the essence and allure of orthodox Christian beliefs. He celebrates the paradoxical nature of truth, highlighting how orthodox Christianity, with all its enchanting mysteries, brings a fresh vitality to the world. Chesterton argues that while modernity may be filled with wild and wasted virtues, true orthodoxy unites the material and the spiritual, offering a complete and coherent worldview. The author unveils the enchanting beauty of dogma, challenging the notion that religious truths must be dull and mundane. Chesterton invites readers to embrace the romance of orthodox Christian thought, urging them to venture beyond the surface of skepticism and explore the profound truths and mysteries that lie within the heart of faith. He also explores the differences between Buddhism and Christianity and how modern assumptions about religion obscure the revolutionary nature of the Christian faith.

"We come back to the same tireless note touching the nature of Christianity; all modern philosophies are chains which connect and fetter; Christianity is a sword which separates and sets free. No other philosophy makes God actually rejoice in the separation of the universe into living souls. But according to orthodox Christianity this separation between God and man is sacred, because this is eternal. That a man may love God it is necessary that there should be not only a God to be loved, but a man to love him."

"Christianity is the only religion on earth that has felt that omnipotence made God incomplete. Christianity alone has felt that God, to be wholly God, must have been a rebel as well as a king. Alone of all creeds, Christianity has added courage to the virtues of the Creator. For the only courage worth calling courage must necessarily mean that the soul passes a breaking point—and does not break."